Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-31

.aw ought to be passed providing more Ger
1aInoy ior the enforcement of the laws
against those who violate and disregard
thelr commands. 1t will be seen by an in
spectlon OF this License law that while
nquor dealers pay for and get license tc
seii IN quantities above, and in quantities
less than one gallon. there is no law reuuir
ing license to sell an even gallon. This, o.
course, was an oversight in the craftsman
OF the act, and can be easily remedied.
THIS LICENSE LAW
very wisely and very justly imposed taz
upon Peddlers and Commercial Travellers
and Drummers, as they are called, for the
privilege OF prosecuting their business and
calling in this Territory; and this law very
properly applies to all persons, whether
they be citizens OF Montana or any other
Territories Or States. But since the ad.
Journment OF the legislature in March last
one Judge, if not more, in this Territory
| has decided that, under the ruling of the
Supreme Conrt Of the United States, all
Commercial Travellers and Drummers re.
| siding outside of the Territory of Montana
have the right to come into our bounds
and carry on and prosecute their business
OF drumming and selling by sample, with
out paying for, or procuring license to do
so from the authorities of this government;
and that therefore the laws of this Terri.
tory in that regard cannot and must not
be enforced against such non-residents
and suppose the same ruling will
APPLY TO NoN-KEs1DENr PEDDLERs
doing business on the soil of Montana, and
to nonresident lawyers, physicians, assay
lists. etc. 1t results, therefore, that now,
and ever since that decision was made. the
citizens OF Montana who live here and paw
their taxes are ready to perform every act
OF good citizenship and to make any sacri-
fice for the good OF their government. are
compelled to pay for and get license and
HeIl by sample, to peddle. or to act the COM
inercial traveller; while all the merchants in
the States and Territories have the right
to send in their drummers and sell their
goods by sample, or TO peddle out their
goods amongst our people without paying
one cent OF tax in any way for the support
OF this government; and thus the position
is taken in support OF discrimination in
favor OF the nonresident and against our
own people. do not concur in the under
standing that the Supreme Court OF the
United States has ever had this precise
question under advisement and rendered
the decision claimed; and while do most
respectfully acquiesece in the decision of our
courts touching the enforcement of the law,
yet believe that our law Is
CONSTITUTIONAL AND EMNENTLY JUST,
and would have the Territory of Montana
take the question direct to the Supreme
Court of the United States for investigation
and decision. and in the meantime, and by
all means, ask that you amend this law
SO as to give our own people an equal
chance with those outside, who have no
interest in Montana except to hasten in
and get all the good trade they can, and
then retire. deem it my duty to call your
to the practical workings of the
act passed by your honorable body, and
on the 5th day OF March last,
called
''TnE BOUNTY LAW"
It is no new experiment in Montana to
have bounty law. There have been such
laws on the statute books ever since the
18th OF February, 1879; and very many OF
the States, if not all of them, have had,
and some of them now have, similar laws,
as a means of relief from the ravages of
hostile ANIMALS that forge upon the bud
dings of civiliza ton, and such laws, care
found favor with the people. The first law
upon this subject in Montana vested il the
County Commissioners the power to offer
and cause 10 be paid out of the county
treasury such bounty as in their discretion
ought to be paid for killing or destroying
certain vicious, wild animals. Whether
any commissioners ever did deem it neces-
sary, and levied such tax upon the people
OF their county under the law vesting them
with such authority. am not advised; but
on the 9Th of Mach, 1888, the law was
amended, and
A VERY INVITING BOUNTY WAS OFFERED,
and made payable out OF the Treasury OF
the Territory So each for bear. So for each
lion, 81 for each wolf, and fifty
cents for each coyote. Under this law
there was paid: